Leadership
Our owners and management team are experienced professionals who lead with care and compassion.
Leadership
Introduction
Meet Our Owners
Hal Baumchen | PSYD, LP, LADC
President, Clinical Director, and Co-Occurring Disorders Specialist
Jason Vanderscoff | LADC
Chief Executive Officer
Introduction
Meet Our Management Team
Tim Walsh | M.A., L.P. DPA
Chief of Behavioral Health Strategies and Solutions
Tim Walsh is the NorthStar Regional Chief of Behavioral Health Strategies and Solutions. He completed his doctorate in public administration at Hamline University in 2012. He received his Master of Arts degree in counseling psychology from St. Thomas University in 1993. Tim earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with double majors in Social Sciences/Psychology and Biblical Studies from the University of Northwestern, St. Paul.
Tim has been licensed as a psychologist since 1998. He also has over 28 years of experience as an administrator in the fields of behavioral health, human services, and corrections. He is a former executive leader with Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge. Tim’s heart is to have a significant, positive impact on people, in their journey to life recovery and transformation.
John McGinnis | LADC
Chief Operating Officer
John has worked in the health care field for thirty years, twenty-seven of those years have been spent in the CD field. He has held several roles in the field of Chemical Dependency and MICD. He has gained a wealth of experience working with adolescents and adults at NorthStar Regional, Five Stars Recovery and other institutions in the state of Minnesota.
John has been a leading force in the quality of our client care. Client care and the client experience in treatment have long been John’s passion. As COO, his goal is to bring his experience, knowledge and leadership experience to all NorthStar Regional Programs and Corporate Operations.
Jonathan Holt
Chief Marketing Officer
Jonathan Holt is the Chief Marketing Officer at NorthStar Regional. His experience includes over 30 years of marketing, communications, and operations experience in both traditional and digital marketing. He was previously the Director of Marketing at ESCO, before that he oversaw international marketing operations at Starkey Hearing Technologies. Jonathan holds a degree in Advertising from Collins College in Tempe, Arizona.
Lea Atkinson | MA, LADC, LPCC
Chief of Programs and Services
Lea Atkinson is NorthStar Regional’s Chief of Programs and Services. As a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) and a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LADC), Lea has numerous years of experience working in diverse environments and has been involved in both mental health and co-occurring programs.
Throughout her career, she has kept client-centered care as her focus and leads with compassion and empathy. Lea is a graduate of St. Mary’s University in Minneapolis.
Riko Armstrong
Compliance Officer
He attended Northern Colorado University and earned a BA in Journalism and Sociology. After undergrad, he joined the US Navy and obtained a master’s degree in Criminal Justice with an emphasis in Fraud Management from Colorado State University. As a Navy Veteran with a decade of experience in the compliance field. He did two deployments to the Persian Gulf, a special assignment in the Naval Recruiting District, and a tour in Bahrain. Additionally, he was a career counselor, mentorship coordinator, security officer, and suicide prevention, coordinator. He has earned a certificate in Leadership in Professional Ethics and Compliance. He is a former Compliance Director at MNTC. He has a passion for helping people and is currently working on becoming a licensed mental health professional.
Jamie Cox | MSW, LICSW
Maple Grove & Chanhassen Program Director
Jamie Cox is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker who earned his master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. With 18 years of experience and lifelong-learner approach, Jamie’s client focused skills and expertise are essential in driving NorthStar Regional’s overall Philosophy of Care. Supporting our teams through development and mentorship, ensuring our team members are armed with the skills and development resources they need to provide impactful treatment to the communities we support.
Jamie has a passion for building and implementing programs that include trauma focused treatment, is a proven clinical supervisor, and has played a critical role in the development of our internship program during his tenure with NSR. Jamie supports the integration of Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder treatment throughout NSR’s Continuum of Care, building on our cohesive and collaborative environment. His support of our team of providers brings elevated focus and awareness to areas such as burnout prevention, secondary traumatic stress, and teaching the foundations of a healthy work-life balance.
Jessica Hart | LADC
Women’s Residential Program Director
Jessica Hart is the director of NorthStar Regional’s Women’s Residential Treatment Center in Chaska, MN. A Summa Cum Laude graduate of Argosy University, she began working in the recovery field as a technician with Pride Institute in 2014, and has also served at The Haven in Shakopee, MN, at NSR’s Chanhassen Co-occurring Disorder program and at our Sugar Creek campus. She believes in fostering a supportive environment to help clients feel safe in order to build a good therapeutic alliance.
Rafael Lewis | LADC
Men’s Shakopee Residential Program Director
Rafael is a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LADC). Currently enrolled in the M.A. in Counseling and Psychological Services program at Saint Mary’s University in Minneapolis to pursue a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC). He is a proud husband and father too.
Rafael’s primary focus is Client services. He strives to ensure that individuals have a smooth experience and take advantage of NSR’s full suite of programs and services. Passionate about recovery, mental and physical health, and improving overall well-being.
Jim Lorge
Men’s Riverwood Residential Program Director
Jim Lorge is a person in long-term recovery that has been working in program management positions at both adolescent and adult treatment programs for the past 15 years. Most recently, for the past 4 years he served as the Treatment Director at MN Adult and Teen Challenge in Mpls. Jim is a certified trainer for Peer Support Services and trained 100’s of individuals over the past 6 years that have gone on to become Certified Peer Recovery Specialists.
His passion is giving hope to those who struggle with life-controlling substance issues and meeting them where they are. Jim believes in the capacity for change, finding joy in working with clients and helping them be successful in their own recovery journey.
Madilyn Myers | MA, LPC, LADC
Men’s Riverwood IOP w/Lodging Program Director
Madilyn Myers is NorthStar Regional’s Program Director for our Otsego location. As a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LADC), Madilyn has experience working with clients to build their insight on mental health and its impact on their addiction.
Throughout her career, she has kept client-centered care as a focus, working with clients to identify their strengths, increase resilience, and motivate clients to overcome their roadblocks in life. Madilyn is a graduate from the University of South Dakota with an undergraduate degree in psychology and communications, and a masters degree in clinical mental health counseling.
Neil Schmidt | LADC
Chaska “Sugar Creek Campus” IOP Program Director
Neal Schmidt is a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LADC) since 2012, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Alcohol and Drug Studies from Minnesota State University – Mankato. He has proudly been with NorthStar Regional since 2018, becoming Program Director in 2023. He places client care as a top priority to ensure a positive treatment experience, contributing toward rebuilding and maintaining healthy lives during and after treatment.
